FAQS

How do I know that the Master of Business Administration is the right degree for me to pursue?

There are many graduate degrees you can earn, many of which are highly specialized. A graduate business degree combines quantitative and qualitative analytical skills

Do I need a degree in business in order to be admitted to the program?

No, admission requires a completed Bachelor's degree in any field from a regionally-accredited institution, and not necessarily a business-related field. Typically, 40% of our students are non-business majors. Official transcripts are required for each school attended - unofficial transcripts are acceptable only from Weber State University.

If I am still completing my bachelor degree, can I still apply?

Yes, you can still apply to the program while you are completing your undergraduate requirements. If successful, your admission will be conditional until the completion of your undergraduate degree, and you will need to have a second transcript sent to our office confirming the completion of your undergraduate degree.

Is professional work experience required to be admitted?

Post-undergraduate career experience is not required, but it strengthens an application and mitigates a somewhat lower undergraduate GPA and/or GMAT score. Applicants with more career experience get more out of the curriculum, and their experience enriches the classroom and contributions to team projects. The average post-undergraduate work experience of successful applicants is 5 years.

Is there a minimum undergraduate GPA or GMAT/GRE score required for admission?

The minimum required for admission is a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0. If the undergraduate GPA is below 3.0, admission consideration may be based on a GPA calculated based on the last 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate work. The average undergraduate GPA for successful applicants is 3.4.

The average GMAT score (or GRE equivalent) is typically above 560 (composite score); the average verbal score for the most recently admitted class was in the 65th percentile, and the 40th percentile for the quantitative scores. Applicants with lower GPAs or GMAT scores may be admitted to the program with strong post-baccalaureate career experience as a mitigating factor.

Are there any exemptions from the GMAT/GRE requirement?

Applicants are exempt from the GMAT/GRE requirement under the following circumstances:

if you have successfully completed one semester of college algebra (Math 1050) AND;

if you have previously earned a graduate degree from a regionally-accredited university (or international equivalent) OR;

if your undergraduate GPA and relevant career experience match the following criteria:

3.5+ GPA and 5+ years of relevant post-undergraduate career experience

3.0 - 3.5 GPA and 10+ years of relevant post-undergraduate career experience

Exemptions must be approved by the MBA Program. To see if you are eligible, email an updated resume and unofficial transcripts tomba@weber.edu

Is it possible to be conditionally admitted or take MBA classes before formal admission?

Unfortunately, it is not possible to take MBA classes prior to admission to the program, and we do not currently offer conditional admission for domestic or international applicants. For international applicants who must provide a letter of conditional acceptance to the program before they can receive state-sponsored or other funding for their studies, we can only write a letter stating that IF a student were to perform at a satisfactory level on the GMAT, TOEFL, and/or a complete ESL (English as a Second Language program), they COULD be admitted to our program, depending on the decision of our Admissions Committee. WSU does offer an intensive English language program (known as LEAP), which international students could also apply to as undergraduates prior to admission to a graduate program.

Do I qualify for the fast-track, 36 credit hour program?

The MBA degree ordinarily requires a minimum of 36 semester hours of graduate work for persons with a recent undergraduate business degree from an AACSB-accredited business school. Individuals with business undergraduate degrees from non-AACSB-accredited schools may be required to complete additional foundations course work contingent on departmental analysis of their undergraduate transcripts. Economics majors are also eligible for the fast-track, as long as they have met all of our foundations requirements in their undergraduate degree.

For persons with a non-business undergraduate degree, the program typically requires 54 semester hours, although this may be reduced somewhat based on previous course work. Students with business-related undergraduate degrees are exempted from the required MBA course in their major field of study (i.e. accounting, finance, economics, information systems, marketing, management, supply chain management, human resources) and will take an additional elective MBA course in its place.

How much does the program cost?

A rough estimate of the total tuition costs for the two tracks mentioned above for Utah residents at current tuition rates is approximately $22,000 total for the 36-hour track, and approximately $32,000 total for the 54-hour track for non-business majors. The current tuition table can be viewed at http://www.weber.edu/bursar/TuitionFee_Tables.html .

Is financial aid available to graduate students?

Graduate students who are U.S. citizens and legal residents are eligible for the same student loan programs as undergraduates - for more information, see the WSU Financial Aid Office webpage at http://weber.edu/financialaid . Utah non-residents (including international students) may also be eligible for waivers which would reduce their tuition to Utah resident levels. Unfortunately, research or teaching assistantships are not available for MBA students.

Does the Goddard School MBA Program provide scholarships to MBA students?

We do have a limited number of scholarships available, which are given out on the basis of academic merit upon entry into the program. No application for scholarships is required until a successful applicant's eligibility is ascertained upon admission: GMAT score above 600, an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.7, and no other form of financial support (e.g. from an employer).

When are MBA classes scheduled and how often do they meet?

All of our courses involves a mix of in-class and online instruction. Depending on the course, classes are held from Monday to Thursday nights, each class meeting one night per week from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. Classes generally involve an average of 15-20 hours of work outside of class per week. We try to keep our schedule as stable as possible from year to year; all of our required classes are offered twice per year (fall and spring semesters) and electives and foundations courses are offered once per year. All classes are taught at the WSU Davis Campus in Layton.

Does the program involve full- or part-time study?

Each class meets for 8 weeks, one night per week from 5:30-8:30pm. Part-time study consists of one class per 8-week session, and full-time study entails two courses per session. Our program offers an unmatched degree of flexibility in allowing students to complete their MBA in the evening at either a full-time or part-time pace, or switch between the two from term to term, and allowing students to temporarily stop out of the program if their schedules preclude them from successfully pursuing coursework.

How long would it take me to complete the MBA degree?

For non-business majors, we have five MBA-level Foundations courses (3 credit hours each) which are required of all non-business majors. For such individuals, the program will consist of 54 credit hours. This track would take two-years of full-time study to complete, or 3 years of part-time study. If you have a business minor, you may be exempt from some or all of our foundations classes, which is determined at time of entry into the program on the basis of transcript analysis.

The fast-track MBA program for business undergraduate majors is a 36 credit hour program, which can be completed in two years on a part-time basis, or one and a half years if ‘doubling up’ to a full-time pace (2 courses) during some course blocks.